Shirt-collar fastener and adjusting device



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. WOLGEMUTH 85 e. s. ENGLE. SHIRT COLLAR FASTENER AND ADJUSTING DEVICE.

No. 553,950. Patented Feb. 4, 1896;

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model} J. B. WOLGEMUTH & G. s. ENGLE; SHIRT COLLAR FASTENBR AND ADJUSTING DEVICE. No. 553,950.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

Jiffy UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE. I

JAMES B. \VOLGEMUTH, OF PIERRE, AND GEORGE S. ENGLE, OF ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SHIRT-COLLAR FASTENER AND ADJUSTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,950, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed February 19, 1894. Serial No. 500,730. (No model.)

To all whom it floaty concern.-

. Be it known that we, JAMES B. WOLGE- MUTH, residing at Pierre, in the county of Hughes, and GEORGE S. ENGLE, residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Brown, State of South Dakota, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Shirt-Collar Fastener and Adjusting Device, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a contrivance or device to be used for securing a collar to the rear or back of the collar or neck band of a shirt; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of our invention are, first, to provide a means for uniting the ends of the collar or neck band of a shirt (when open at the back) in such a manner as to dispense with the customary buttonholes, which as is well known are continually tearing out and are 2 5 tedious as well as expensive to make in the first place, and also to permit of the extension or adjustment of the 'neckband to the neck and prevent any strain on the collar under various conditions and positions of the 0 body, thereby affording more comfort and ease to the wearer; second, such a device which can be easily attached to or removed or detached from the shirt and can be worn on shirts which open at either the back or 3 5 front, and, third, a device for the abovenamed purposes as well as for adj ustably securing the collar to the back of the neckband, so that it will remain at a distance from the neck, and the back button be self-adjusting to the center or middle of the backof the neck when buttoned in the collar, thus preventing it becoming soiled by perspiration or by contact with the flesh. I

Still another and one of the main objects 5 of our invention is to so secure the collar to the back of the neckband of the shirt that it will not only be held at a distance from the neck, but that the collar-button also will be kept therefrom and be entirely removed from the shirtband and held in the clasp and the pressure thereof be distributed'by reason of our device, thus avoiding the chafing, irritation, and goring which are so common in the ordinary or old-style way of fastening the collar by means of a button inserted through buttonholes in the neckband.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention pertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe .it, referring to the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a portion of a shirt and its neck or collar band (as it appears when open in the back) provided with loops for the reception of the adjusting device and collar-button holder. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of the collar-band of a shirt, showing the adjusting device and collar-button holder or clasp in position thereon. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the collar or neck band of a shirt andour invention in position thereon and the collar-button removed. Fig. 4: is a perspective View of a modification of the adjusting device and button clasp or holder detached from the shirt and partly open for convenience of illustration. Fig. 5 is a rear view in elevation of the bed or neck piece of the clasp. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the clasp and adjusting device, showing the button in position. Fig. '7 is a view in face or front elevation illustrating still another modification in the construction of the button-clasp and adjusting device. Fig. 8 is a plan or longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 9 is a View in front elevation of another modification with the button removed, and Fig. 10 is a plan or longitudinal view thereof.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents a portion of the body of a shirt, which is open at the back, and as usual is provided with a neck or collar band B, having a buttonhole at its front central portion for securing the ends of the collar. Near each end of the band B and to the exterior thereof is attached a loop a for the reception of the adjusti-ngidevice and collar-button holder '0, which is made of any suitable size and material, but preferably of a flexible substance and slightly curvilinear, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, which view repre- I sents our preferred construction in position on a portion of the collar-band.

The device C, as here shown, is constructed of one piece of material, which is bent back upon itself, thus forming a bed or neck piece C and a holder 0 for the collar-button D. The free end of the bed or neck piece 0 is formed with a flap c to engage the free end of the button-holding piece 0 which is interposed between the flap c and the bed'piece. The piece C is formed with a longitudinal slot 0, terminating at one end in an enlargement 0 through which the head d of the col lar-button D may be inserted, when the shank thereof may be passed into the slot c and there niovably retained.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 we have shown a modification in the form of the adjusting device and collar-button clasp, which we may sometimes employ instead of the one just above described, and which consists of a bed or neck piece E, which is slightly curvilinear, as in the other construction, in order that it will conform to the shape or contour of the back of the neck, and is formed or provided with a spring E, which is preferably made by slotting the piece E longitudinally, as is shown in Fig. at, the spring E being the tongue or portion which has been removed from the slot, yet permitted to be secured thereto at one of its ends. To one end of the piece E is secured, by means of a suitable hinge e, the collar-button holding or adjusting piece E, which is also curvilinear, and is provided with a longitudinal slot 6 having at one of its ends an enlargement 6, through which the head of the button is inserted.

As will be readily understood by reference to Figs. a, 5, and 6 of the drawings, the piece E as well as the spring E, will be held in position by means of the flange or flap e on the opposite end of the piece E from which the piece E is hinged. It is also apparent that after the head of the button shall have been inserted through the opening 6 the shank thereof will operate in the slot 6 and the base cl will rest against the spring E, by means of which it will be held at the central portion of the clasp or piece E and a considerable distance from the bed or neck piece E, thus retaining the collar at a distance from the neck of the wearer.

In Figs. 7 and 8 we have shown another modification of the adjusting device and col lar-button clasp, which instead of being made of two pieces, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, is constructed of one piece of material so bent back upon itself that it assumes virtually the same shape as is obtained by the construc tion illustrated in said figures. This modification has the neck or bed piece 0 from which a tongue or spring G is formed by slotting said neck or bed piece longitudinally,

yet leaving one of its ends secured thereto. The portion C is then bent back upon itself and lapped over the free end of the piece C, as is seen at c thus confining the tongue or spring C between the neek-piece C and button holding and adjusting device G which is provided with a longitudinal slot 0 for the reception and operation of the collar-button.

In Figs. 9 and 10 we have shown still another modification of the collar-button clasp and adjusting device, which consists of three pieces, a neck or bed piece F having each of its ends bent back upon itself, as at f and provided with openings f therethrough for the operation of the ends f of the button holding and adjusting piece F, which is formed with a longitudinal slot g for the reception and operation of the collar-button, as in the other instances. Between the pieces F and F is placed and secured at one of its ends a spring F which rests against the base of the collar-button, as in the other constructions above described.

The operation of our device is simple, and as follows: The neck or bed piece of the device is inserted in the loops to, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and will unite the ends of the neckband, thus dispensing with the buttonholes and ordinary button usually employed for securing them together. The head of the collar-but ton is then inserted through the enlargement of the slot in the button-holding piece, and the shank thereof slid into said slot, when the free end of the said piece is secured to the neck or bed piece by placing it under the flange or flap formed on the bed-piece for this purpose. The collar may then be secured to the collar-button at the back of the neck in the ordinary manner, when it, as well as the collar-button, will be retained at a distance from the neck, and the pressure thereof equally distributed.

lVhile we have shown a shirt open in the back only, yet it is evident that our invention. is applicable to a shirt open in the front, and it only requires a couple of loops or pockets on the back portion of the neckband to se cure the device in position. It is apparent, however, that no adjustment of the neckband will occur unless the shirt is open at the back, and the ends of the neckband are united by means of our device, but the collar-button in either case adjusts itself to the center of the neck and prevents any undue binding or strain of either side or portion of the collar, such as occurs in the cases where one side of the neckband from buttonhole to buttonhole is a trifle shorter than the other.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the neck or collar band of a shirt having loops or pockets near its ends, of a neck or bed piece to engage said loops and to distribute the pressure of the button, and a slotted piece united to the neckband of a shirt by means of loops or pockets, piece, and having Within its slot a spring substantially as described.

actuated button, substantially as described.

2. A shirt collar fastener, button holder and adjusting device made of one piece of material, consisting of the neck or bed piece 0, having at its free end the flap or flange c, the button-holding piece 0 having the slot 0, and enlarged opening 0 for the reception and retention of the collar-butt0n, said device being adapted to be secured to the neck- JAMES B. l/VOLGEMUTH. GEORGE S. ENGLE.

\Vitnesses as to James B. WVolgemuth:

OHAs. O. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN.

Vitnesses as to George S. Engle:

BIoN A. DODGE, A. B. BOWMAN. 

